Creamy mushroom, leek and chestnut pie

Veg and nuts bound together in a silky smooth sauce. The tofu keeps the fat content lower than if you used cream, and gives a big hit of protein, too Serves 4 20g dried porcini mushrooms 300g silken tofu 40g butter 2 tbsp olive oil 250g chestnut mushrooms, halved 250g portobello mushrooms, sliced 2 large leeks, sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 200g ready-to-eat chestnuts, chopped 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 2 tbsp cornflour 80ml Madeira wine 2 tsp sherry vinegar 375g all-butter puff pastry Flour, for dusting 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk Pinch poppy seeds (optional) 1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over 400ml boiling water; set aside for 30 mins. Drain, reserving the liquid. 2 Blitz the tofu and reserved porcini liquid in a blender or food processor until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3 Melt half the butter with half the oil in a large pan over a high heat and fry the chestnut and portobello mushrooms until softened and browned. Remove from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining butter and fry the leeks for a few mins until soft and starting to colour.

4 Stir in the porcini mushrooms, fried mushrooms, garlic, chestnuts and thyme. Cook for 1 min. Mix the cornflour into the Madeira wine, then add to the pan along with the tofu and porcini ‘cream’. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3–4 mins for the sauce to thicken. Stir in the vinegar and season to taste. Transfer to a pie dish or individual dishes and leave to cool slightly.

5 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until just a little bigger than your dish or dishes. Brush a little of the egg mixture over the rim of the dish/dishes and sit the pastry on top, pressing to seal. Brush the top with the egg mixture and scatter with poppy seeds (if using). Pierce a hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape and sit the pie on a baking tray.

6 Bake for 30 mins, or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Set aside to rest for 5–10 mins before serving. FLEX IT If you have leftover roast chicken, turkey or diced ham, reduce the mushroom quantity accordingly and stir the cooked meat through the sauce at the end.